I've never made much of an effort to hide the fact that small animals really freak me out. Well, imagine my horror when I heard that the Snakehead Fish, a predatory fish indigenous to Asia, has reappeared in Maryland, this time in Wheaton.The fish, which suppossedly poses no threat to humans, was caught yesterday by a couple of guys fishing for bass. This is the second time in two years that the snakehead has been found in Maryland. The last case was discovered in a pond in Crofton, MD.
The snakeheads usually arrive in this country either as aquarium fish or food fish, and it is speculated that they find their way into ponds or lakes by unsuspecting pet owners who release them after they outgrow their tanks. The DNR has plans to drain the lake in order to determin the extent of the snakehead infestation. Last time the species was found, a fish poison was released in order to kill off the snakehead.
Now for the truly terrifying part. The Snakehead can breath air and can move on the ground, similiar to a snake. It was described by those that caught it yesterday as having the head of a snake and the teeth of a shark. And, apparently, it's not in a good mood:
He [Terry Wintermoyer, catcher of fish] and his friend were debating what to do with the fish, which was lying on the ground inside the plastic bag. A park maintenance worker walked up, curious, and stuck his foot near the animal.Suddenly, Wintermoyer said, the snakehead lunged.
"It put a pretty good tooth mark in his steel-toed boot," he said.
Holy Mother of the Living God!
Tony
